


Something New

by Spacecadet72



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-19 03:21:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22237735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacecadet72/pseuds/Spacecadet72
Summary: Adrien and Marinette are acting...differently around each other, and the class takes notice.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 7
Kudos: 256





	Something New

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlexSeanchai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexSeanchai/gifts).



> This is a backup gift for alexseanchai for the Miraculous Ladybug Secret Santa exchange on tumblr. 
> 
> I hope you don't mind that I used one of your prompts from the Flash Fest. I saw it and couldn't help writing it. :) I hope you enjoy!

Alix was bored. Nobody was talking about anything interesting and class wouldn't start for several more minutes. She glanced over to where Marinette and Adrien sat. That could usually be a source of entertainment, as Marinette still couldn't get herself together around Adrien. Marinette was so confident and take charge in other areas of her life that watching her fumble around Adrien was hysterical. And Adrien was so oblivious to the whole thing. It really was fun to watch.

The door opened and Marinette and Adrien walked in together. This wasn't so unusual, they were friends, of a sort, and this wouldn't have been the first time. What was odd was how they were acting.

Marinette wasn't blushing, or stuttering or acting at all nervous around her crush. She touched his arm lightly, laughing at something Adrien said. There was comfort and familiarity there, where only yesterday, Alix had seen Marinette accidentally deliver an entire sentence in almost perfect pig latin because she was so nervous and kept messing up.

Where had this come from?

And it wasn't just Marinette. Adrien was looking at her with such open affection and that same level of familiarity. Not that Adrien had never looked at Marinette like he might like her--there was certainly enough speculation about just how oblivious he really was--but this was something different, something acknowledged and deeper than just a crush. There was history there in the looks they gave each other.

Alix looked around, wondering if anyone else had noticed. She saw Rose and Juleka whispering quickly with each other, heads down and together as they shot glances at Marinette and Adrien.

Alya's mouth had dropped open at the sight and that was a shock. If anyone would know what had happened between this morning and yesterday afternoon to create such a change, Alix would have bet on it being Alya, who besides being Marinette's best friend, was dating Adrien's best friend, and was one of the most knowledgeable and persistent seekers of the truth Alix knew.

Nino too, looked shocked at this turn of events. If Marinette hadn't told Alya, and Adrien hadn't told Nino, just what was it that had happened? Alix would have imagined that if anything like this ever happened, Marinette first would have died from the shock, and then after recovering would have told Alya everything.

Apparently, that wasn't the case.

Adrien and Marinette made their way to their seats, and as Adrien sat down, Marinette perched herself on the edge of his desk and leaned in to continue their conversation. There seemed to be some affectionate ribbing going on, some sort of competition between the two if their expressions were any indication.

Alix couldn't hear her, but she could tell from where she sat that Marinette was speaking complete and full sentences around Adrien, no blush in sight.

Adrien leaned in, his laughter loud and carefree. Alix didn't know Adrien very well, but she had rarely seen him so happy. There was a confidence there, a swagger almost, that she had never seen him exhibit either.

Just what had happened last night?

* * *

Alya could not believe what she was seeing.

Marinette and Adrien were talking and laughing together. And Marinette wasn't freaking out and stuttering like she usually did around Adrien. She looked confident and like the Marinette the rest of their class knew. But there was something else there too, like she and Adrien had been close friends forever. She was almost positive she had heard them exchanging inside jokes. Inside jokes! Marinette could barely look at Adrien without blushing and stammering and now they had inside jokes?

More than that, what really bothered Alya was that this was the first she knew about this change. When she had said goodbye to Marinette after school the day before, they had been in the middle of coming up with a plan for Marinette to try and talk to her crush. Alya had been supportive and encouraging, although she worried about how this newest scheme would go for her friend.

Apparently, it had gone really well, if the scene in front of her was any indication. She had thought Marinette was going to put the plan in action next week, so had this even come from that?

Mme. Bustier stood at the front of the class and began the lesson for that day. Marinette slid into her seat, shooting Adrien a grin and pulling out her notebook.

Alya scribbled something in the margins of her notes and carefully slid it over so that Marinette could read it.

_What's going on? You and Adrien seem really close now._

Marinette read the note and looked up at Alya knowing she was in trouble. Alya softened at the look of panic on her face. She just wanted to know what was going on. And she was feeling a little hurt that she had to ask. Why wouldn't Marinette share this with her?

Marinette put her head down as she wrote in her own notebook, before angling it towards Alya.

_I ran into him last night and we started talking, and figured some things out. He's actually really easy to talk to, I'm not sure what I was so nervous about before._

Alya's eyebrow raised at that. One conversation and it was all easy going smiles and friendly teasing? What had they talked about?

_That must have been some conversation._

Marinette smiled, looking like she was remembering something, most likely whatever had gone down between her and Adrien last night.

_It was._

Alya shook her head and wrote the other question that had been burning in her since Marinette and Adrien walked into the classroom only minutes ago.

_Are you guys dating?_

Marinette blushed and shook her head before turning back to her own notebook.

_No, we're just friends._

Alya's brow furrowed at that. Just days before, Marinette had been lamenting about how Adrien only saw her as a friend, and how horrible that was. Now she was saying that and looking, if not calm, then content with that statement?

"Alya, Marinette, do you have anything to share with the class?"

Alya and Marinette quickly covered their scribbled notes with their arms and looked up at Mme. Bustier in contrition.

"No, Madame," they said in unison.

Mme. Bustier nodded and moved on with the lesson. Alya looked over at Marinette who was taking actual notes now. Alya turned her attention to her own notes, but this wasn't over. She would find out what happened.

* * *

"What do you think happened? Were you able to get anything out of him?" Alya demanded, looking at Nino as he watched Marinette and Adrien walk out of the classroom together, Marinette's laugh carrying into the classroom.

Nino shook his head, looking up at Alya. "I have no idea what happened. I asked Adrien when class was over, and all he said was that they had talked last night and got past some misunderstandings. He wouldn't tell me more than that."

Alya looked at the door where their friends had just been as if it would give her answers. "I can't believe they wouldn't tell us anything," she said, looking more hurt than mad. Nino could understand the feeling. It was true that he had been spending less time with Adrien since he had started dating Alya, and Adrien's schedule had always been pretty full, but they were still best friends.

"You weren't able to find out anything from Marinette?" Nino asked, gathering his things and reaching out to take Alya's hand in his.

She shook her head. "She told me what he told you and when I asked if they were dating, she said no."

"I guess it's good that they're getting along better now," Nino said as they followed the rest of the class out of the room.

"We've been trying to get her to be more comfortable with him forever, and now all it took was some conversation?" Alya's eyes glinted with a look that Nino knew well. She wasn't going to rest until she found out all the information. He loved that about her, but he wasn't sure it was what was needed.

"Sometimes things just have to happen in their own time," Nino said, hoping Alya wouldn't be too stubborn about this. If their friends weren't sharing, it was for a reason.

Alya looked at him with a soft smile. "When did you get so wise?"

Nino grinned. "I don't know, maybe you've been rubbing off on me."

Alya gave his hand a squeeze, before letting out a sigh. "Maybe you're right. I just can't believe she didn't tell me."

"It does kinda hurt," Nino admitted. "But they'll talk to us when they're ready."

Alya hated waiting, but she nodded. "Besides, this is just a step in the right direction. I bet they'll be dating by the end of the school year."

Nino looked out at the newly flowering trees and knew there wasn't much time before that time came. "Maybe," he said, wondering what that change would bring to their friend group.

* * *

"How mad do you think they are?" Adrien asked as he and Marinette sat transformed at the top of the Eiffel tower later that afternoon.

She winced. "I'm not sure mad's the right word. I'm pretty sure Alya's hurt that she had to find out with everyone else."

Adrien reached out to lace his fingers with hers. It was a comforting weight against her palm, and she couldn't believe this partnership, this familiarity was now something she could experience outside the suits. Why had she been so worried about this outcome? Oh, she knew there were risks, and consequences they couldn't foresee from where they were sitting, but she couldn't regret it in this moment.

"We'll talk to them tomorrow. Together?" he asked, looking at her, a smile tugging at his lips that she completely understood. Together was something they could do and be all the time now.

She nodded. "That will be a good approach. I may need to talk to Alya separately because she'll have questions she won't want to say in front of you, but a team effort will be a good way to go."

"Like everything else we do, hey bugaboo?" he said with a grin.

Something warm lit within her at that. She so trusted the boy sitting next to her. With him by her side, it felt like anything was possible. She looked out over the city, washed in bright sunlight and she couldn't sit still any longer.

"Race you," she said, releasing his hand and jumping off the tower. She could hear his laugh and knew he was following her as she swung out over the city.


End file.
